The Entrepreneur In Residence Initiative and Strengthening Immigrant Pathways for Job-Creating Entrepreneurs

Our nation has always attracted individuals with great drive and entrepreneurial spirit. To continue being a great global leader, we must continue to attract and retain the next generation of immigrant entrepreneurs who will start new businesses and create new jobs here in America. Taking action on this front, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) kicked off its Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) initiative last week with a stakeholder summit in Silicon Valley. The host location was fitting, as NASA Ames Research Center Director Simon Worden pointed out, since NASA programs have historically benefited from breakthroughs by foreign-born scientists and engineers.

The stakeholder summit began with a special naturalization ceremony for over 20 people hailing from 13 countries who took the oath of citizenship. In addition, five extraordinarily successful entrepreneurs and investors received the Outstanding American by Choice recognition, and shared their own personal stories of coming to America: Christopher Che, President and CEO of the Che International Group; Ping Fu, President and CEO of Geomagic; Michael Moritz, Partner at Sequoia Capital; Shervin Pishevar, Managing Director of Menlo Ventures; and Vivek Wadhwa, the academic, researcher, writer, and entrepreneur.

In his Washington Post column, Mr. Wadhwa shared what this special recognition meant to him:“When I received the call from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director, Alejandro Mayorkas, I had tears in my eyes. He told me that the government appreciated all of my efforts to make the country more competitive and that my criticisms of his department had motived his team to work harder to improve the system. This is the greatness of America and why this country leads the world: Disagreement and debate are cherished. Challenging the norms, thinking outside the box, and questioning those in power is encouraged and celebrated.”

Thinking outside the box is exactly what the new EIR initiative is all about. Over a period of 90 days, a tactical team made up of both USCIS staff and start up experts will identify ways to enhance existing policies, practices, and training across a range of existing visa categories used by entrepreneurs. The goal is to ensure that immigration pathways are clear and consistent, and reflect the business realities of entrepreneurs interested in coming to the U.S. to create jobs.

Last week’s stakeholder summit was an excellent start, bringing together a diverse group of 150 entrepreneurs, attorneys, and other thought leaders from across the country, all providing their expertise on the best ways to optimize existing visa categories used by entrepreneurs seeking to launch their companies in the U.S. The support shown here is evident of how important it is to do what it takes to create more jobs and turn the economy around.

President Obama has continually supported legislation to create a visa designed specifically for startup founders, as part of his vision for a 21st century immigration system. As part of the White House Startup America initiative, the Administration has taken action to keep more talented science and math graduates in the country longer, make it easier to start a company in the U.S., and attract highly skilled immigrants, all under existing authority.

As they take up their 90-day mission, we look forward to the EIR team delivering concrete results for immigrant entrepreneurs and the U.S. economy.

About Jacob J. Sapochnick

Jacob Sapochnick is recognized as one of the most innovative, up and coming Immigration Lawyers in the nation. He devotes 100% of his practice to Immigration Law, representing Corporations, Hotels, Restaurants, and other organizations, as well as, entrepreneurs, and individuals worldwide. He also provides legal support and representation in family sponsored immigration matters.more >>

Featured Posts

On December 27, 2016 in Matter of Dhanasar, 26 I&N Dec. 884 (AAO 2016) the USCIS Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) handed down a groundbreaking decision which has changed the analytical framework for determining eligibility of national interest waivers. This new decision will affect foreign nationals who are pursuing a green card based on employment in […]

Do’s and Don’ts If you are considering applying for a temporary visitor visa to travel to the United States for purposes of leisure or to receive temporary medical treatment, there are several things you should be aware of. First, you should understand what you can do while on a temporary visitor visa and what […]

It is a pleasure for our law office to introduce associate attorney Nadia Galash to our readers Bio: Nadia Galash has been a California licensed attorney since 2009 and has been practicing immigration law since 2011. Nadia Galash specializes in adjustment of status/permanent resident processing; citizenship; deportation and removal proceedings before Immigration Court; law and motion […]